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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29613942">what are your plans for saturday night?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerike/pseuds/aerike'>aerike</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:01:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,557</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29613942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerike/pseuds/aerike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“When were you planning on telling him?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Midna/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>what are your plans for saturday night?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link was twitching in his bed once again. His bandages must itch like hell, she bet, and the young man was unable to stay still as it was, even on the brink of a slow and painful death.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She could tell. The Twilight could be welcoming as a friend’s embrace but its wrath lacked mercy, and Link had felt all of it that Ganondorf could give.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She watched him. The seemingly infinite scars on his shoulders, on his torso, crossing the freckles on his nose bridge, taking a bite off his left ear, taking every centimeter of skin it could but not his soul. His soul was untouched, had always been. In the face of fear, in the face of certain death, of uncertainty, when the most powerful being in their lands was pointing a sword at his neck and she was feeling herself fading away as she dedicated the last bits of her power to a monarch of a land that was all but kind to her. She watched him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her thumbs wouldn’t leave the ominous stone in her hands. Its edges trying their best to cut into her skin, warning her. But she didn’t care. Twilight was under her protection, and she would protect it from itself if need be.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The wooden door opened, somehow not squeaking on is rusty hinges, Zelda’s grace knowing no bounds. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The queen stared at their hero asleep on the shaggy bed, the numerous bandages covering him. She sighed quietly, slightly lifting her skirts so they wouldn’t drag and make even more noise on the floor, her silent steps taking her to the chair on the opposite side of Midna’s. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Twili monarch couldn’t help but stare at the hem of the queen’s dress. It was dirty, no chance of salvation to it, parts of it completely torn apart from the demonic monsters chasing them while the queen aimed her deadly bow at the evil king’s back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were alive. Ganondorf wasn’t. She had to remind herself of that uncomfortably often. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zelda sighed silently again. Midna stared at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When were you planning on telling him?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Midna didn’t need to ask what she was talking about. Their souls, connected, a bond between them that Midna could tell would never truly break, had shared her plans, the sacrifice she was willing to make to keep their lands safe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zelda hadn’t taken it very well. She doubted Link would, either. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had argued, inside their minds. While she watched Link frantically run around Hyrule Fields, Zelda and her were throwing words back and forth, Midna trying to not let her tears drop on the dark fur taking her around. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zelda still didn’t fully accept it. But she was wise beyond her years. She would understand, someday.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Midna sighed, hiding the stone back inside one of Link’s pouches. A small gift, for when she was no longer there. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She turned to the queen, taking one of her gloved hands, dirty with golden powder and blood, and kissed her fingers, where she knew the knuckles were bruised and sore from carrying such unbond power from the gods for such a long time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know I have to do this,” Midna whispered, letting her forehead rest on Zelda’s fingers, “you know I can’t risk this power falling into the wrong hands again, can’t risk my people paying the price for it, Zelda” she took a deep breath, feeling her voice starting to tremble, “I can’t risk your lives more than I already did.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She felt Zelda’s fingers coil and go away from her. Midna could feel the unhappy noise on Zelda’s throat, even with the queen not letting it out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t understand you,” Zelda shook her head, her mouth twisting in an unhappy frown, “I have no doubts we could find a way to protect our kingdoms, with no risks involved--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, we could,” Midna agreed, slowly taking Zelda’s hand back in hers, “But when? How much time do we have until another being appears? We don’t know this whole world, my queen,” she smirked, a dry laugh escaping her, “As far as we can tell, Ganondorf is simply taking another nap.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, he isn’t,” Zelda turned her blue eyes to Link, “He made sure of it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Midna tightened her fingers around Zelda’s hand, forcing the queen’s eyes back to her. Giving her a small smile, Midna bent slightly down, resting a light kiss on Zelda’s forehead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t risk it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zelda wasn’t happy with it. But Midna didn’t need her to be. She just needed them to be safe. </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>She heard the clink of glass in the kitchen. Without looking at the windows, she could tell it was the middle of the night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Link’s bed was empty. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mumbling to herself, Midna untangled the blankets from around her legs -- she barely felt the cold, but Telma was nothing if not stubborn-- and went downstairs, following the sound of wood banging around in a pan and a very low humming.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Link was standing in front of Telma’s stove, a small cauldron bubbling with broth and pieces and bits of vegetables and meat. Link was currently on the tip of his toes, trying to reach the small jar of pepper on top of one of the shelves. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His legs were shaking, there were small drops of sweat under his hairline, his broken left arm clearly bothering him. He shouldn’t even be out of bed, much less cooking by himself in the middle of the night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Midna took pity on him, stepping forward and slightly reaching her arm forward to grab the jar and handing it to him, nodding at the small ‘thank you’ he gave to her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before he could put it in the soup, she took it back and placed it on an even higher shelf, ignoring his indignant sound.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What are you doing out of bed?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He mumbled something, turning the fire down and taking the cauldron off, placing it on the table. Midna sighed, sitting down on one of the table’s wooden chairs, accepting the bowl full of soup he offered to her, but making no move to eat it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know very well you should be in bed, not walking around.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shrugged, staring at his spoon for a second before begrudgingly taking it with his right hand, clumsily moving the soup around in his bowl. But clearly not making a move to eat it, either. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Had a strange dream,” was all he said, not taking his eyes off the table.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She stared at him, clearly prompting him to continue. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I… you and Zelda, both of you were… walking away from me, just… I tried to yell your names, I even tried throwing my boomerang’s wind at your heads but you just… wouldn’t turn around and then I think I… fell into a hole? And someone was laughing, I can’t tell who, sounded like a child.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They stayed in silence for a few moments, the only sounds coming from the passer bys outside.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And I woke up hungry, so I came here to make some soup but…” he pushed his bowl away, “I’m not hungry anymore.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She nodded silently, standing up and taking the cauldron back to the stove, covering it with a wooden lid. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She should tell him. She shouldn’t tell him. Knowing Link, he’d probably be as stubborn as a goat and try to make her stay, go above and beyond trying to find a solution for their problems, even if it made him lose an arm or his legs. Heroes didn’t live for long.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shouldn’t tell him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She rested her hand on the middle of his back, silently goading him to stand up. He walked by her side on shaky legs, his energy seemingly having left him completely, as she took them back to his room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as she opened her door, he went straight for his bed, dropping down on it, wincing as his left arm and shoulder painfully hit the mattress. She tsked, taking the blankets from the bottom of the bed and tucking them around his shoulders, taking one of the smaller pillows to put under his injured arm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey Midna,” he started on a drowsy voice, his right arm escaping the blankets to wrap his hand around her own, “We should visit the Zoras, don’t you think? Prince Ralis, I…” he yawned, giving her a sleepy smile, “I bet he would like some pointers from you and Zel,” gods, he had given the queen a nickname, “He has a kingdom now, just like both of you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She nodded silently, her throat closing around the words.<em> I won’t be here, I can’t stay, that’s all I can do and I hope you understand.  </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>He gave her an even sleepier, bigger smile and closed his eyes. She closed her own and bowed down, resting her forehead against his, feeling her breath hitch. She backed away when she felt his breath deepen, leaving a small kiss on his slightly scarred cheek. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shouldn’t tell him, but by the gods, she hoped he’d understand. Someday. </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>As the shards flew around their faces, as the sand shook their hair around, their blue eyes stayed on her. As she stepped away, as she closed the portal, as she later fell asleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They would understand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But would never accept it. </p>
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